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Computer tricks used in PMO’s 300m/- theft police officer
2006-01-01 09:55:09
By Correspondent Timothy Kahoho
An investigator from the Tanzania Police Force, Assistant Inspector of Police Mataba, has told a court in Dar es Salaam that the theft of over TShs. 300 million from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) occurred by using the computer technology connected to the Ministry of Finance.
He was speaking last Thursday in the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court, while answering a question from the defence counsel, Barnaba Lubuwa, who represented the first accused person, Gaudens Anthony Mapunda.
Mapunda has been charged with theft that allegedly occurred in 2001, alongside eight other individuals.
The prosecution witness from the Central Police Station of Dar es Salaam claimed before the Resident Magistrate (RM), Emmanuel Safari, that during his investigation of a theft of TShs. 322,431,000 from the said office, he discovered a computer programme known as Intergrated Financial Management 50 (IFM50) connecting the Treasury.
’’There is a computer programme called Intergrated Financial Management 50, which enables a person in the Treasury to read payment preparation undertaken in the Prime Minister’s Office,’’ Mataba said in his testimony before the trial magistrate against Mapunda following the question from Advocate Lubuwa.
Mapunda has been facing the criminal case together with Salama Shite, Winisimbo Estomih Massawe, Mossi Fred Rwehumbiza, Celestin Bethold Nyaulachi, Deusdedit Masota, Imaculata Chale, Said Zuberi Kalanda and Muharami Alli Ambonela.
The Police Officer was guided in giving his evidence before the trial magistrate by State Attorney (SA), Eveta Mushi, assisted by a Public Prosecutor (PP), Inspector of Police Gaudianus Kamugisha, and then cross-examined by Advocate Lubuwa on behalf of Mapunda.
All the accused persons were brought to Kisutu Court to face Economic Organized Crime No. 2 of 2004, charged with a total of 94 counts, ranging from conspiracy to defraud the money of the United Republic of Tanzania between May and August in 2001, forgeries of various payment vouchers and cheques until they succeeded to steal the monies.
In his testimony before Magistrate Safari, Mataba said he was among those who investigated the theft of the monies in the PMO from the preparation of the payments through Payment Vouchers (PVs) up to when the documents are referred to the Ministry of Finance for preparation of cheques of the authorized payments.
The investigator said payments are raised in the PMO by the Chief Accountant using PVs after getting directive from the Chief Administrator he then posted in the computer.
However, he alleged that after that Examination Officer verifies the payments and returns them to the Chief Accountant for him to stamp an Electric Seal on the PVs.
He further said that after stamping the seal the PVs are forwarded to the Treasury for writing the cheques in accordance to the amounts paid.
’’The Chief Accountant has no power to create payments but he has only a right to prepare payments after getting directive from higher level,’’ he said.
When asked if he had direct evidence against Mapunda for having forged documents used to steal the monies at the Treasury, he replied that he didn’t.
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